Improved ditching-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEroE.

HIRAM E. MOON AND JOSEPH DOAN, OF WILMINGTON, OHIO.

IMPROVED 4DlTCHlNG-IVIACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,87l, dated October 1G, 1366.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that we, HIRAM E. MooN and JOSEPH DOAN, of I/Vilmington, in the county of Clinton and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved DitchingMachine; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure l being a top view of the machine 5 Fig. 2, a side view thereof, Fig. 3, a view of the other side.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the iigures.

IVe construct a strong frame, A, of proper form to support the different operative parts of the machine, and of suitable sizesay ten feet long and three or three and a halt' feet wide-so thatit will go between the standards of an ordinary farm-wagon. The lower partn of the frame rests on transverse rollers a a, which roll on the surface of the ground (represented by red lines in Figs. 2 and 3) as the machine moves forward. The upper part of the frame is connected with the lower part by posts, as represented.

On the lower part of the frame is mounted a transverse shaft, D, on which is attached a ditch-cutting wheel, F, of peculiar construction. .lts diameter is to be determined by the depth atwhich the ditches are to be dug, which will be about six inches less than the radins of the wheel.

The machine may be used with ditchingwheels of dit'erent sizes b y varying the length of the arms of the cleaner G, presently to be described,` and byhavin g the same number of cuttersff,at equal distances apart in all cases.

The wheelanay be cast in one piece, with a strong hub and a thin web of iron, or with spokes-between it and the rim s, which is to be wider vthan the inside of the wheel, and equal, or about'equal, in width to that of the ditch to be dug-say ve inches-for laying common drain-tiles, or water and gas pipes.

The teeth j' j' have blades u a, of steel, attachedto the inside, each by two screws, with heads countersunk therein. The blades properly lie in recesses of the teeth, as shown. They are straight, at about an angle of fortyve degrees to the tangent of the wheel, extendinginward toward the center of the wheel six inches, (more or less 5) and inside of that the wheel is hollowed out three or four inches more, in about semicircular form, as shown 5 and thence the outside or rim s of the next tooth in order extends in a somewhat outwardly-curved form, so as to give sufiicient strength to the tooth, but not so as to cause the teeth to rub against the uncut earth, however fa-st the machine may move forward. The outer extremity or edge of each tooth-blade should be beveled in the line of the circumference of the circle drawn through those points around the center ofthe wheel.

Any convenient number of teeth ffmay be employed 5 but it is best to use a composite number-say sixteenfor convenience in calculating the gearing of the machine.

The power is applied to the machine by means of a sweep, C, on a vertical shaft, B, at the side of the frame opposite to that of the ditching-wheel. From this shaft it is communicated to the shaft D of the ditching-wheel by means of bevel-wheels b d, respectively, on the two shafts, and generally of equal size. The wheel b should be arranged either above or below thc wheel d, in such a manner as to require the horses to travel round from right to left, and cause the ditching-wheel to cut upward as it goes forward. This arrangement brings the twisting action of the power and` the side draft of the machine in opposition, and counterbalances their effects.

The cleaner G consists of a revolving hori zontal arm, G,-with brushes g g projecting downward from its extremities. Its motion is so regulated in relation to that of the ditching-wheel F that one of the brushes g g will pass across and within each tooth f, and just at the right moment, and thus clean out the earth as it is brought up by the teeth. To bring the revolutions of the cleaner right, it should revolve as many times faster than the ditching-wheel as there are teeth in the said wheel divided by the number of brushes on the cleaner. This motion is communicated to the cleaner from the drivingshaft B through an oblique horizontal shaft, H, and its own vertical shaft I. The bevel-wheels c h and pinions 7a z', by which the motions are transferred, should be of such relative size as to produce the number of revolutions of the cleaner required.- The cleaner is secured to its shaft I by a set-screw, v, so as to adjust it to the exact angle necessary to have its motions accord with those of the ditching-wheel.

Upon one of the forward supporting-rollers, a, a, or on its shaft, are two circular markingknives, S S, projecting a few inches from the roller. These are close on the two sides of the teeth and rim of the ditching-wheel, which passes up between them. These revolving cutters mark the upper edge of the ditch, and make asmooth cut of its sides.

The machine is fed alonguniformly by means of a feeding-rope, N, one end of which is attached to and winds upon a spool or reel, E, on the shaft Dof the ditching-wheel, so coupled thereto by a ratchet-wheel, L, and pawl l that it will turn with the shaft when the machine is in action, but can readily be uncoupled and turned loosely on the shaft after the feedingrope is wound up thereon, each time, in order to unwind it again. The other end of the rope N is secured fast to a hook or staple, w, on the front end of the frame, substantially as shown.

The feeding-rope passes through or around an anchor, H, the fluke or hook m of which is driven firmly and securely into the ground at a suitable distance ahead ofthe machine. This anchor has a sheave, u, around which the feeding-rope passes, to lessen friction. This is the arrangement when the ground is soft, and the feed may be rapid; but if the ground is hard there maybe two or more sheaves in the any chor, and a tackle connected with it, to diminish the amount of feed and increase its power. After the rope is wound up on the spool E and the machine is moved along to the anchor, the rope is unwound from the spool and the anchor shifted forward to another position.

In order to guide the machine in a curve to the right or left, not only should the anchor be placed so as to draw in that direction, but a guide-wheel, P, cutting into the ground, is mounted at one front corner of the frame upon a carrier, Q, which is pivoted at p, so as to vary its angle sidewise. A handle, q, and notched plate r enable this guide-carrier to be directed and held at any required angle.

At the rear end of the machine, and directly behind a ditching-wheel, a rudder, T, is attached to the frame, and extends backward and downward into the just-formed ditch, and keeps the machine steadily in place and in the right direction. Upon the top of this rudder, also, is attached a bridge, t, which will rest across the ditch ain the right place for the horses to travel, so that they may not step into or tear off the sides of the ditch.

. An .inclined shield-plate,W,is situated close against the outside of the ditching-wheel to keep the dirt away from its shaft.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The ditching-wheel F, constructed with the cutters f j', open throats inside thereof', and projecting rim s, bounding the whole outer periphery ot' the wheel, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose hereiu specified.

2. The cleaner G, in combination with the ditching-wheel, arranged and operating substantially as herein set forth.

3. The marking-knives S S, in combination with the ditching-wheel, substantially as dcscribed.

4. The combination and arrangement of the cutting or penetrating guide-wheel P, feedingrope N, anchor H, and spool E, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. A

5. The rudder T, provided with the bridge t, for the purposes specified. 6. Such a combined arrangement of the sweep, gearing, and ditching-wheel that the twisting force of the power applied and the side draft of the machine shall counteract and nearly counterbalance each other, substantially as set forth.

The above specification 'of our improved ditching-machine signed by us this lst day of May, A. l). 1866.

HIRAM E. MOON. JOSEPH DOAN.

Witnesses:

L. MILLS, J. C. MCMILLAN. 

